MOAB, Utah-On Wednesday, Sept. 28, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will join Moab community leaders and outdoor recreation stakeholders for a conversation on the importance of conservation and outdoor recreation in creating jobs and building strong local economies across America. During the visit, the Secretary will hear about locally-driven conservation initiatives taking place on public lands in Utah and learn how the Department can better support them. Prior to the discussion, Salazar will visit the Mill Creek Canyon Wilderness Study Area (WSA) to learn firsthand about recommendations to preserve unique recreational and wilderness values of certain areas, such as Mill Creek, through potential Congressional action.

In June, Secretary Salazar directed Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes to solicit input from members of Congress, state and local officials, tribes and federal land managers to identify lands that may be appropriate candidates for Congressional protection under the Wilderness Act. Hayes will deliver a report to the Secretary and Congress regarding those areas that the Department believes can be the basis for a bipartisan wilderness agenda that can be enacted in the 112th Congress.

We want to formally invite you to attend the 2011 Take Back Utah! Parade & Rally. The purpose of the event is to continue to draw attention to the importance of local control of public land in Utah as well as responsible access to and multiple use of that land. It also serves to unite broad based supporters under the banner of multiple use and show our government that we are united and willing to fight for our rights. The event generates considerable political capital for organizations such as USA-ALL. We then use that momentum and clout to protect access to public land in our state. This is a CRITICAL land use rally and parade. All concerned citizens should plan to attend and help us fix poor management of our land and resources and a broken government.

It will also be FUN! Come ride your ATV, tractor, motorcycle, horse, jeep, mountain bike, you name it, in DOWNTOWN Salt Lake City! All the event details are below. Take Back Utah (TBU) is a very fun, empowering, and FREE event. PLEASE come if you can and bring the whole family. Stay for just the rally or both the parade and rally. We MUST have a good showing! You will not regret taking your Saturday morning and participating in this.

This rally has been held annually for the past 3 years. It has grown every year. Last year there were about 5,000 people in attendance. It is hands down the largest rally in Utah every year! We hope that number grows. We have taken the energy and significant political capital generated by this event and used it to better protect access to public land for you. We could NOT have done that without many thousands of people showing up to this and showing elected officials and government officials that the public cares about land use issues and wants more control of public land and improved access.

This years event promises to be even better than last year with a modified parade route (State Fair Park to capitol building and back), short and sweet speeches by land use activists, and a few vendor booths to check out before the rally. TBU has also improved the parking and staging process. It will all be handled in the same location (State Fair Park) which makes it easier on you. You also will have a return route back to your vehicles so you don’t have to wait for TBU to shuttle you back to the staging area.

Speakers this year will include USA-ALL’s Mike Swenson, key legislators including land use warrior Mike Noel, Congressman Rob Bishop, Senator Orrin Hatch, and John Swallow among others.

You will also have a chance to say a few words with a new roaming microphone. A mic will be managed by an event volunteer who will be soliciting comments from the audience. YOU will have a chance to let your voice be heard and to speak your mind!

If for some reason you can’t come to the event but would like to support it PLEASE consider a small donation in your place. Click the donation button Donate and we will forward your donation directly to TBU or you can go to their website (http://takebackutah.org) and donate to them directly. Even a small $5 or $10 donation will really help them pull the event off and promote it to more people.

Lastly the event planners have asked us to see if we could help get more volunteers for the day of the event. USA-ALL also needs a few volunteers for the day of the event WE BOTH NEED YOUR HELP! If you think you could help out even if only for a few hours please contact Mike Swenson with USA-ALLTBU or Glenn Olsen with TBU. Contact info will be below. You can really make a difference and help both organizations better accomplish their purpose so PLEASE HELP if you can we need MANY, MANY of you.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — A coalition of influential groups representing the interests of millions of off-highway vehicle (OHV) riders wants answers to key questions about the new federal Wild Lands policy, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.

In a letter dated March 16 to Bob Abbey, director of the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the coalition asked numerous questions related to the Wild Lands policy, which could close millions of acres of federal land to responsible motorized recreation.

The coalition also stressed that there is strong grass-roots opposition to the new policy.

The coalition is made up of the AMA, the All-Terrain Vehicle Association, the Trails Preservation Alliance, the Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition, the Utah Shared Access Alliance, AMA District 36 (Northern California, Northwestern Nevada), AMA District 37 Off-Road Division (Southern California) and the California Off-Road Vehicle Association.

On Dec. 22, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar signed Secretarial Order 3310 creating the Wild Lands land-use designation that essentially allows BLM officials to manage public land as if it had received a Wilderness designation from Congress, but without requiring congressional approval. This new policy is widely expected to restrict or eliminate responsible OHV use in the affected areas.

A Wilderness designation is one of the most restrictive forms of public land management. Once Congress designates an area as Wilderness, nearly all forms of non-pedestrian recreation are illegal. The AMA supports appropriate Wilderness designations that meet the criteria established by Congress in 1964, but anti-access advocates have been abusing the legislative process to ban responsible OHV recreation on public land.

“As associations that represent the interests of millions of responsible motorized recreation enthusiasts, we oppose the new Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Lands policy,” the coalition wrote. “We have questions concerning the definition of Wild Lands, designations, and implementation plans as they relate to motorized recreation within Secretarial Order 3310.

“Moreover, we seek to clarify indications that you believe there is no grass-roots opposition to this order,” the letter said. “We, the undersigned, believe this new designation may severely restrict the ability of our members to responsibly recreate on public lands managed by the BLM.”

SAINT GEORGE, UT - ECT Offroad Southwest Crawlfest presented by Poison Spyder had nearly 300 vehicles on the Sand Hollow OHV Recreation Trails participating in a clean-up and raffle for Land-Use. “We had another great turn out this year,” explained Steve Crabtree, Event Chairman. “It was a perfect weekend for wheeling and it was fun to have everyone here enjoying the trails and helping support keeping the land open so we can continue to have events like these.”

The event that took place January 14-16 featured a raffle with over $45,000 worth of sponsor donated products. Proceeds from the event have gone directly into supporting land use organizations including Blue Ribbon Coalition, United Four Wheel Drive Association, Utah 4 Wheel Drive Association, and Utah Shared Access Alliance who all had representatives on site to educate. Companies like ECT Offroad, Nitro Gear and Auburn Gear donated a front and rear axle set valued over $6,500. “I couldn’t believe it! I was so excited, I couldn’t even say anything!” exclaimed grand prize winner Steve from Arizona. Jason Minnoch from ECT Offroad added, “I am stoked that someone that wanted and can use the axles won, it makes the whole weekend even better!” Other large prizes included a YJ Armor package valued over $2000 compliments of Poison Spyder, a complete suspension kit from Tough Country, multiple bolt on accessories from PipeMaster Tools, Olympic4x4, iDeal Offroad, Rad Motorsports and thousands of dollars in Gift Certificates from others.